Light Gauge Framing System (Lgfs) is a construction technology using cold-formed steel as the construction material. It can be used for roof systems, floor systems, wall systems, roof panels, decks, or the entire buildings. They can also be used as individual framing members such as studs, joists, headers, and truss members. Light Steel Frame members can also serve as both primary structures and secondary structures. An example of the Light Steel Framing used as primary structures is the webbed trusses. Steel studs can also act as secondary structures by providing lateral support to exterior wall finish since they rely on the primary structure for support.

Features of Light Gauge Steel Framing

• Cold rolled steel sections galvanized with coating that are corrosion resistant. Steel will not shrink, swell, split or wrap and is non combustible.

• High strength results in safer structures, less maintenance. • Steel framing has a consistent quality • Less weight (yet very strong)than wood members and concrete results lighter foundations and

less probability of damages in an earthquake. • Construction time is muchless, almost one third of the normal construction • All steel material is 100 % recyclable; Not vulnerable to any type of fungi or organism. • Building is manufactured under controlled factory conditions. • Ideal for expansion of existing structures, additional floors, etc. Flexibility for future expansion

and relocation. • Sustainability advantages such as improved thermal performance. • Unequalled design flexibility made possible by a wide range of cladding, roofing and glazing

options. • High quality construction ensured by a zero tolerance manufacturing process.

Advantages of Steel

Structural steel’s low cost, strength, durability, design flexibility, adaptability and recyclability make it the material of choice for a growing number of construction-related businesses. Cost efficient and quick to buildWith accurately-made steel frame components, construction is quick and doesn’t require highly skilled labour.

• Steel possesses the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any building material being used today. • Light steel frames are very strong and lightweight, so housing frames require less material

(compared to timber). • A steel-framed house can be completed in about one-half to two-thirds the time of a

conventional brick and mortar home. • Light steel frame components are easy to transport and work with. • Because all the intelligence is built into the modelling and fabrication phase of the steel frame

manufacturing process, unskilled labour can do the assembly. • With steel frame building methods, it’s easier to budget accurately and there is less material

wastage. • The production of steel framing is 100% computer controlled and is accurate to +/- 0.5mm. The

framing is 100% square and straight, which has down stream benefits for other trades. Tradesman installing plasterboard, windows and doors, and kitchen and bathroom cabinetry spend less time compensating for non-linear framing.

• Steel framing is supplied with electrical and service holes pre-punched, meaning reduced time on site for plumbers and electricians.

100% Environmental Friendly Recyclability

• Much of the steel used to make light steel framing is recycled. • When a steel frame building is demolished, the steel can be recycled. • It takes approximately one-quarter of an acre of mature trees to produce the wood framing for a

typical house. The same house can be steel framed from three or four old cars. • Steel can be recycled indefinitely without losing any of its qualities.

• When steel buildings are no longer required in their current location, they can be dismantled and re-erected elsewhere.

Energy Efficiency

• Steel framed buildings can be very energy efficient. The strength of steel requires fewer wall studs, so there are fewer thermal bridges (uninsulated areas) to transmit heat.

• Steel frame buildings do not settle or warp, so they remain more airtight. • The depth of the steel beams provides a wider space for insulation. • The design flexibility of steel frame buildings enables architects to focus on energy-efficient

housing features.

Manufacturing and construction concerns

• Almost half the world’s steel production now takes place in electric plants that operate exclusively with recycled scrap and generate no CO2 emissions.

• The by-products arising from steel production are all re-used. For example, slag is employed as a high-value mineral material for highway construction, as ballast, and for the manufacture of cement.

• Steel construction entails the assembly of semi-finished products in a factory, limiting the noise and disruption of open-air operations.

• Steel’s light weight allows smaller foundations and less excavation. In some cases, a few piles are sufficient to raise the building completely from the ground.

• Debris from a typical wood framed home account for 1.4 m3 of landfill waste, compared to only 0.1m3 from a steel framed house.

Durable and safe

• Steel will not rot and is immune to termites and other insects. • Steel frames stay straight, unlike timber which can move and warp, twist and shrink during and

after construction. This significantly reduces ongoing maintenance, as there are fewer call backs for things like plasterboard cracking or framing popping.

• Steel is non-combustible and won’t contribute to the spread of a fire. • A steel frame building is more resistant to the effects of severe hurricanes and tornados. Also,

there is less likelihood of damage from lightning strikes due to superior earthing characteristics of steel.

• Steel doesn’t have to be treated with pesticides, preservatives or glues, so steel frame houses offer indoor air quality benefits.

• Because of steel’s inert character and the manner in which steel framed buildings are insulated, floors and walls are not susceptible to moisture build-up, which contributes to the formation of mould.

Design flexibility

• Compared to timber framing, steel framing can span greater distances, allowing greater design flexibility. Interior walls can be placed without load-bearing considerations.

• Any timber frame plan can be easily converted to a steel frame plan, using 3D modelling software.

• Once completed, steel frame homes can look just like traditionally-built homes. • Modifying an existing steel frame building is relatively simply. Interior walls can be moved

without a concern for structural support.

Steel production and construction

• Almost half the world’s steel production now takes place in electric plants that operate exclusively with recycled scrap and generate no CO2 emissions.

• The by-products arising from steel production are all re-used. For example, slag is employed as a high-value mineral material for highway construction, as ballast, and for the manufacture of cement.

• Steel construction entails the assembly of semi-finished products in a factory, limiting the noise and disruption of open-air operations.

• Steel’s light weight allows smaller foundations and less excavation. In some cases, a few piles are sufficient to raise the building completely from the ground.

• Debris from a typical wood framed home account for 1.4 m3 of landfill waste, compared to only 0.1m3 from a steel framed house.